Kohli wins 3 awards, named skipper of ICC test & ODI teams

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — India captain Virat Kohli became first player in history to win three major ICC awards and was also named skipper of both ICC test and ODI teams of the year on Tuesday.

January 22, 2019

Kohli was named cricketer of the year and won the Sir Garfield trophy, was named best test player of the year and also ODI player of the year after his extraordinary batting form in 2018. The 30-year-old Kohli scored 1,322 runs at an average of 55.08 with five centuries in 13 matches. He also scored 1,202 runs in 14 ODIs that featured six centuries and came at an astonishing average of 133.55.

"It feels amazing. It's a reward for all the hard work that you do throughout the calendar year," Kohli said. "I feel really grateful and very, very happy with the team doing well at the same time myself performing.

"Having recognition at the global level from the ICC is something you feel proud of as a cricketer because you understand that there are many players playing the game." Kohli had won the Sir Garfield Trophy and ODI player of the year awards last year and was also the ODI player of the year in 2012.

ICC chief executive David Richardson congratulated Kohli for his impressive form in 2018. "To be recognized as a true cricketing great you need to be successful at all formats of the game and Virat has become a great ambassador for our sport," Richardson said.

The test and ODI teams of the year were picked by the ICC's voting academy, which is comprised of former cricketers and members of the media. Kohli finished 2018 as the No. 1 batsman in both tests and ODIs, while India ended the year as the top-ranked test team and No. 2 behind England in the ODI rankings.

India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant and fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah also featured on the all-XI test team. And Bumrah is the only other player, in addition to Kohli, who made both the test and ODI teams. Three New Zealand players — captain Kane Williamson, Henry Nicholls and opening batsman Tom Latham — were picked on the test team. Dimuth Karunaratne (Sri Lanka), Jason Holder (West Indies), Kagiso Rabada (South Africa), Nathan Lyon (Australia) and Mohammad Abbas (Pakistan) completed the test squad.

"This looks like an individual piece of recognition, but it is much more about the team," Williamson said. Indian opening batsman Rohit Sharma and spinner Kuldeep Yadav made it on the ODI squad. It also included England's Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes. Top-ranked bowler Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Mustafizur Rehman (Bangladesh) and Ross Taylor (New Zealand) were named in the ODI team.

Australia opening batsman Aaron Finch won the T20 performance of the year award for the second time for his record 172 against Zimbabwe in Harare in last July. Pant was named emerging player of the year, Scotland's Calum MacLeod got the ICC associate player of the year award, Williamson won the ICC spirit of cricket award and Kumar Dharmasena was chosen as umpire of the year.

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